Coming Close to Life: Resting the Heart in Natural Awareness

Grant me the ability to be alone;
May it be my custom to go outdoors each day
Among the trees and grasses,
Among all growing things,
And there may I be alone,
To talk with the one that I belong to.
– Rabbi Nachman of Breslov

To be human means to be vulnerable, and the times we live in are unique in our species history. We are waking up to the magnitude of harm being done by our kind to the wider natural world and ourselves.
Inspired by the teaching of Bayo Akomolafe – “The times are urgent, let us slow down”, this retreat offers a space to pause and listen deeply. This time of churning and upheaval is not only a challenge to overcome. It is also an invitation that calls upon us to meet this life with new eyes, inquiring into our heart’s deepest calling and the meaning of human life collectively.

Emphasizing ease, non-striving, and spaciousness, we will offer practices that support us in recognizing the natural capacity of the human heart-mind to be awake. Being awake to this life means we come closer to the whole of this life, both the welcome and the unwelcome. How we meet this, is what transforms how our life is experienced and how we respond.

Although the majority of the retreat will be in silence, we will welcome the gift of community through group inquiry, witnessing our shared humanity. We will also intentionally include the wider natural world as an integral companion in our practice, acknowledging our belonging to a vaster tapestry of life.

We will not be requiring or administering Covid-19 tests in 2026, but please bring mindfulness to your activity in the days leading up to the retreat out of consideration for our staff, teachers and participants. Masks will be optional and encouraged, especially if a participant is feeling unwell. Avoiding higher risk situations and making use of masks whenever possible will minimize the likelihood of transmitting viruses to others while on site. We strongly encourage folks to stay home if they are symptomatic of any communicable illness.

First-time retreatants at Southern Dharma must arrive by 5pm ET on the first day of retreat. Check-in begins at 3pm. Returning yogis can check-in between 3 and 6pm.

Departures will take place by 2:00pm on the last day of retreat. Please make sure that you can attend the full program before registering.

All registrations are subject to our new 2026 cancellation policy. All retreatants must review and agree to this policy upon registration.

For our 2026 retreats, all pricing is based on lodging. Please choose the option that best fits your ability to give in this time. Any amount paid above the Base rate is a tax deductible contribution to Southern Dharma Retreat Center. Your confirmation email is your receipt for tax purposes.

We are deeply grateful for your support.

Note that registration fees do not include dana for the teacher(s). In the Buddhist tradition the teachings are offered freely and teachers are not paid for their offerings. They rely on dana contributions from students. We appreciate your generosity and support in building a community of practitioners committed to the Dharma. 

Housing and all meals are included in the program fee. We are now currently offering five housing options:

1. Bed in Lodge, shared double room (2nd floor)
2. Bed in Lodge, dorm with privacy partitions (3rd floor)
3. Unheated kuti (single cabin)
4. Canvas Tent (furnished, single)
5. Basic Tent Platform (camping with your own gear)

*Please note: Southern Dharma is no longer able to offer Heated Kutis. All Kutis are Unheated with no electricity. 

Southern Dharma offers scholarship awards based on need at 25 or 50% discounts for lodge-based room assignments. Selecting a scholarship option affords you a high probability of being assigned to shared housing options. 

Please use the appropriate fields to let us know additional housing needs, such as specifying if you prefer being housed with others of the same gender, snore, use a CPAP machine, or need single housing (if you registered through a scholarship pathway and would otherwise be placed in the lodge). 

Southern Dharma offers additional financial aid for BIPOC and Young Adults, in addition to those with more serious financial need. Please email registrar@southerndharma.org if you are in need of financial aid above the 25% or 50% scholarship.

Participants who have utilized Hemera Foundation Fellowships in the past are welcome to utilize any of the in-house scholarship options.